The Handbasket Vacation
by tigerkity
Summary: SG1MacGyver crossover. Sequel to Brothers in Arms. Jack meets someone new and important in Mac's life.
1. Chapter 1

Spoilers: SG-1: Solitudes, Forever in a Day, Red Sky, Cold Lazarus, Devil You Know, (all very slight)

MacGyver: The Stringer, Passages

Summary: Jack meets someone from Mac's life

Author's Note: Ok, ya'll. Here's another one! Again, I mess with the timing of both shows to fit my own needs, but it works out well enough. Oh, and this is unbeta-ed.

This is a sequel to my first story, Brothers in Arms, it is highly recomended that you read that one first, but this _can_ be read as a stand-alone.

Also, when I talk about Samantha Carter from SG-1 it will be Sam or Carter, when I talk about Sam, Mac's son, it will be spelled SAM in all caps, because it is an acronym. That said, here we go….

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"Two are better than one… for if they fall, one will uplift the other." – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He pulled into his driveway and paused, reveling in the relief that he was finally home. All he wanted to do was sit down with a nice cold one, maybe catch up on some of the old hockey games he had missed, and just relax. It had been a tough month for him and his team. He slowly opened the door and climbed out, his feet dragging tiredly as he walked up the narrow path to his house.

He was still a little bit sore, but the Doc had finally cleared him to go home. He hated being cooped up in the infirmary and had vociferously insisted that he be allowed to go home because he was "fine". Apparently, the nurses had revolted and had demanded that the doctor kick him out or else they would suffocate him in his sleep or 'accidentally' inject him with too much morphine. He grinned evilly at the thought of Nurses Wylie and Gomez trying to bury him out in the woods on top of Cheyenne Mountain.

He unlocked his door and stepped in, fishing out his cell phone and lazily tossing it and his keys onto the kitchen counter. He headed towards the fridge to grab a beer and something to eat, but realized that after a month spent either on base or on missions off world, there wasn't going to be anything edible in there. He groaned in annoyance before deciding to skip the trip to the store and, instead, lay down in his own bed for a nice long nap. Nothing could or would prevent him from catching some much-needed Z's.

As he traversed the hall, something flashing caught the corner of his eye. He turned to see that his answering machine's red light was indeed blinking, informing him that _someone_ had called him while he was away.

He debated whether or not to save it for later.

He looked longingly down the hall, his bedroom door beckoning him, and then he turned to look at the ominous red blinking light. Once more he turned towards his room before,

"Aw, for cryin' out loud!"

He angrily punched the button on the machine, blaming it for delaying his shut-eye.

"You have six new messages…"

'Wow, only six?' he thought. He was gone for a whole month and only six people called him. He felt slightly miffed, but then realized that the most important calls he would get would have most likely been SGC personnel, and they would have would have known that he was either on base or off world and would have gotten a hold of him accordingly.

"First new message," he mocked sarcastically, timing it perfectly so as to harmony with the machine.

One message was a wrong number and consisted of a "Darn it, she gave me the wrong number, _click_". He had to smile at that one: poor guy. The next was a telemarketer asking him if he would like to buy life insurance for a new low price! How ironic. The third message got his attention though,

"Hey Jack, guess you're not home," the voice that was identical to his own belonged to his twin brother, MacGyver. They had kept in touch since the last time they had seen each other, not wanting to make the mistake of keeping each other at a distance again. They had both erased each other from their lives to protect the other from their dangerous lifestyle. They had met up again not long ago, when Jack found out about a contract on his brother's life. Afterwards, they had both agreed to call each other at least twice a month as a way to make sure they were both fine and still alive.

MacGyver had found out that Jack was still fighting a war. A war with aliens, and it had him worried that he would wake up one day to a letter for the next of kin, as he was now known as by Jack's commanding officer, General Hammond. Though it made him proud to find out that his older bro had saved the world, multiple times, it also frightened him how many times he got hurt and supposedly died. Jack had joked to him that there was no way he could ever outnumber his friend, Daniel, with the amount of times he had died. That had not gone over so well.

"You're probably on a mission. Just call me when you get back, I just wanted to talk to you about something. Bye, don't forget to call me back, no matter what." Jack furrowed his eyebrows when he heard his younger twin, something was going on, and he needed to find out what. Deleting the message, he came to the next one also from his brother.

"Wow Jack, guess you're _still_ not home. Must be a long mission. Well, when you get this just…" Mac let out a deep sigh that sounded odd through the machine, "I just feel so… I dunno. How do you deal with it bro? Look at you, you're still in the Air Force and going strong, I don't know how you do it. God, I feel so…old," and another sigh, "I…I didn't think that I'd ever say that, but here I am, spilling my guts to a darn machine. You're not even home yet. Bye, I'll call again later. Hope you're okay."

Jack pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down heavily, while scrubbing a hand through his hair and down his face. He knew exactly how Mac felt, hell, he was feeling it now. It seemed to him, like his brother had just realized that the ole body wasn't quite what it used to be.

He skipped over the next message, it being a reminder for a dentist's appointment for a time he had already missed, and asking to reschedule, but the following one was another one from his brother.

"Come on, Jack, where the hell are you? I know you're not dead, I would have gotten a call, so you're probably _really_ busy," his tone sounded much lighter than it had previously-which was oddly surprising, "Jack, I gotta tell you something, but I want to do it face to face. I…I," then a slight laugh, "Geese Jack, it's amazing, I…just come see us, we'll be at the cabin until the beginning of next month," Jack heard a door closing in the background and several drawers opening and closing, then Mac's voice as if he was talking to someone else, "No not there, hold on I'll help ya in a sec. Jack, listen, I gotta go, but I hope you get this message in time. Later."

_Beep, _"End of messages."

'Wow,' Jack thought, he didn't know what to make of the last one. What was with the "us"? Did Mac find somebody? Naw, he had some commitment issues, he was a free spirit and to be tied down he would have had to fall head over heels in love between the two last calls he made. Impossible. So then, who was it? What happened?

Jack picked up the phone and dialed the General to ask for some downtime. Technically he was on medical leave, but he had a feeling that he should request a little bit more time,

"Sure thing son, take as long as you need, god knows that you deserve it right now."

He booked a flight that left in four hours. There was still room on it, apparently not a lot of people wanted to travel to Minnesota in the dead of winter. Afterwards he went to his room, grabbing a bag from the hall closet and threw in some clothes.

Packing didn't take too long; he wasn't taking that much because he already had some clothes that he left at the cabin, besides Mac would have some stuff he could borrow if he needed it.

He paused before leaving his room, staring at the inviting bed; the much needed rest now not an option. He could sleep on the plane, he reasoned. Going over a mental checklist to make sure he wouldn't forget anything, he realized that he had forgotten to call his brother back. He dropped his bag by the door and picked up the phone. He dialed the cabin, but no one picked up and he didn't leave a message. 'After all,' he figured, 'I'm going to be there soon anyway. I'll surprise him.'

As he passed the kitchen counter on the way out, he saw his service weapon lying on the counter. He stopped. Should he take it along? He knew that Mac despised guns, but he always felt naked without one. He picked it up and turned it thoughtfully in his hands, fingers sliding over the familiar curves and corners. Jack knew his brother's penchant for trouble and decided that it was better to be prepared. He zipped open the bag and hid it between two pairs of pants. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to see it again this trip.

Though his flight was practically empty, the airport sure wasn't. It was a bustle of people; moms yelling after children to not wander off, gaggles of teenagers squawking and standing directly in the middle of the corridor, impeding the flow of traffic, business men, their attention consumed by their gizmo electronics, unable to be free from the constrains of work, families running to catch their next flight. He picked up his boarding pass at the ticket counter and checked his bag, since it did contain a firearm, one of the banned from flight objects, after waiting patiently in line. He didn't mind the wait because it gave him a chance to think. But when he looked at his watch, he realized that he had a little over half an hour before boarding started. He glanced at the long line for security and shook his head. There was no possible way he would get through _that_ in time for his flight.

He passed the end of the line for passengers and immediately went to the line for airport personnel and pilots. He grinned at the looks some of the people in line were giving him, not worried one bit. The Goa'uld had given him worse.

He handed his boarding pass and military ID to the guard, the privileges of rank. The guard gave him a weird look at seeing his face, but Jack just ignored it. He stepped through the metal detector, and as he knew it would, the machine went off. He sighed, already anticipating the more thorough search with the wand. As the second guard approached him, he pulled up the pant leg on his right knee. The man gave him a questioning look,

"Three screws and a couple wires and plates in this leg," he said, pointing to the surgical scar. This was why he much preferred to take military flights rather than commercial. That one was a souvenir from the parachuting accident a long time ago.

"Sir, that may be, but we still have to check you,"

"Yeah, I know."

After finding nothing, the thorough guards believed his story and let him through.

As he walked down the halls towards his gate, he noticed people giving him strange looks and avoiding him, children pointed and stared, and men winced. He didn't know what they found so entertaining, and didn't care. He was too tired to. He handed his ticket to the stewardess at the counter and quickly found his seat. He was lucky to not have anyone sit beside him, and took the opportunity to spread out and rest. He was asleep before the plane took off.

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Author's Note: Finally the first chapter of this sequel is up. I had been waiting until life slowed down a bit more so that I would have more time for writing so I could get these chapters out quicker, but I realized that after a few months went by, ya'll had waited long enough. So, my loyal readers, this is the long awaited sequel! Please enjoy and review!!


	2. Chapter 2

"It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives." – unknown

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

His body automatically registered the drop in altitude and he began to wake up. Once a pilot always a pilot, though he flew Air Force jets, not these big floating tin cans. He opened the window shade and looked out, curious for a glimpse of the land he loved. Minnesota was his true home, though he was born and raised in Chicago. Those summers and winter breaks that he had spent with the MacGyver family had felt more like home to him than the time he spent with his foster parents the O'Neills'. Mac's family had emotionally adopted him and he had done the same to them as well. Their grandfather had lefty them the cabin and they both used it as a refuge and sanctuary from their dangerous and consuming careers.

He was glad to see his brother again. Despite what he might have said to the contrary, he had really missed him. After being forced of necessity to erase each other from their lives, they had finally decided that nothing was worth it. They had a lot of catching up to do.

"Ladies and gentleman, we will be landing shortly so please store your tray tables and return your seat backs to the upright and locked position. The local time is 5:30 p.m. and the forecast says that we're in for a light snow about midnight tonight. We've made good time, so those of you with connecting flights needn't worry about rushing to get to your gate. If this is your final destination, we'd like to be the first to welcome you to the lovely state of a thousand lakes."

He stretched in his seat, his muscles cramping because of the long state of inactivity in such a confined space. He needed the sleep and felt that he could now handle the long drive ahead of him and hold off until he arrived at the cabin.

The captain landed the plane and it wasn't long until he informed the passengers that they were now docked at the gate and they could begin exiting the aircraft. Jack sighed and sat in his place until he was the only one still on the plane. He liked being the last one off because that meant that he could remain sitting a little longer rather than wait standing amidst a crowd for his luggage. He knew that it usually took a little while for baggage claim, so he took his time as he sauntered though the airport. By the time he arrived at the carousel, his bag was already laying solitary, going around and around… perfect.

Funny, he got the same weird looks here too. Oh, well.

He grabbed his stuff and proceeded to the rental car counter where he arranged for a Land Rover, it was the best car they had to handle the snowy and icy conditions. The clerk seemed to take a lot of time checking his ID, but it was fine, he was in no hurry; he could make up the lost time when he was actually on the road.

Finally, he left the airport behind him and after a long, several hour drive, he pulled into the driveway for his and Mac's cabin.

The scene was like a postcard, but so was the drive. There had been a snowfall the night prior that had blanketed the whole region with a layer of white. He loved the smell of the pine and fir along with the freshness of the outdoors. Pulling on a black beanie to keep his ears warm, he turned off the car, it was dusk and already well on its way to complete darkness.

The truck parked in the driveway with two motorcycles in the bed told him that Mac was there, for he recognized one of the bikes, but the other one he didn't. He grabbed his stuff from the passenger seat and climbed out and went to look at the strange bike. It wasn't something his brother would ride that's for sure, it was too new, and looked too…young.

Leaving the truck behind, he decided to check out the dock before he went inside and got warmed up. The dock was his favorite place up here, and he wanted to see if the lake had frozen over enough yet so that it would be safe for skating, not that he was prepared for that just now. He still ached from his last mission where aliens had decided that it was his turn to be the sacrifice to the gods. He and his team had escaped with bad bruises, a sprained ankle, and in his case, three broken ribs. He had been forced to spend two weeks in the infirmary and was now relishing his freedom.

He stood looking out over the water, letting the good memories flow back to him, when he heard something behind him. He turned and could barely see the young man dressed in a black leather jacket and black jeans sneaking along the back of the house because of the darkness. Not recognizing the man, Jack quietly slipped the gun out of his bag, which he still had with him and creeped up behind him. As far as he was concerned, someone dressed in all black, sneaking around somewhere where MacGyver was, wasn't a good thing. He pulled out his gun and leveled it at the trespasser.

SAM had just gone out of the cabin to get some firewood that was piled along the back wall when he felt rather than heard someone behind him. All his years as a photojournalist in countries with civil unrest and war torn areas had honed his survival instincts. He tried not to give it away that he knew that the person was there, instead he reached into his pocket to see what he had if he had to make an escape. He had inherited his mind and way of thinking from his father, and he was just as efficient in improvisations to get himself out of trouble. Well, it seemed like trouble had found him again, even when he was on vacation with his dad.

He was just coming up on the woodpile when the person behind him spoke,

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!"

'Huh?' he thought, that was Dad's voice. He had begun to raise his hands but now he lowered them and began chuckling, though still a bit apprehensious.

"Wow, you got me, Dad. Gee, I was about to bust your brains out with a log. Gosh, ya had me goin there for a sec."

'Dad? What the…' "Turn around junior, and keep those hands where I can see 'em."

Playing along, SAM turned and was startled to see a gun. Momentarily shocked and vision partially obscured by lack of light, he didn't distinguish between the look-a-like and his real father, despite the many little differences.

"Dad, what are you doing, I thought you didn't like guns," he said carefully. Though he hadn't been with him long, he had never seen Mac act like this; something was really off.

"Quiet! What are you doing here?" Jack asked, though he was suspicious, there was something about the kid that was familiar. He didn't want to hurt him, but the fact that he caught him sneaking around didn't help ease his reservations.

"Umm… getting firewood," SAM said as he pointed behind him to the pile, "We're running a bit low inside."

"SAM? Where are you, what's taking so long for that firewood?" Mac asked as he stepped outside. He had sent his son out for the wood nearly ten minutes ago and he hadn't returned so he had gotten worried. He was very protective of his small family and couldn't help but think of all the things that might have gone wrong. Upon stepping around to the back, he couldn't help but pause a moment; of all the scenarios he had running through his mind, this was definitely not one of them. He burst out laughing, surprising both Jack and SAM.

"Dad?"

"Mac?"

"Mac? Dad?" SAM asked, confused. There were two of him, how could that be? 'It was Dad… and…Dad? No way! Wait a minute…' The MacGyver genes weren't just for show. He was quick on his feet and in his mind,

"Twins?! You have a twin and didn't tell me? Dad!" SAM whined, "How cool!" Now that he understood, he interestingly started to analyze the differences between his Dad and what must be his uncle.

"Cool?" Jack scowled before he turned towards Mac, "who's this?" he asked while putting away his gun and turning on the safety.

Mac's laughter died away as he noticed the gun. He glared at his brother for a moment before letting his happiness take over again.

"Jack, this is SAM, my son, your nephew. SAM this is Jack, my twin brother as you already have guessed…don't stare."

Jack glanced once more over at his nephew. He couldn't believe it! Mac had a grown son! 'I'll bet there's a story in there,' he thought as he resolved to find it. But first, he was just glad to see Mac. He went over and gave him a big hug, which was eagerly returned. SAM just kept his distance and watched amusedly; happy to see his father interacting with some he obviously loved.

"It's good to see you bro, I missed ya," he said.

"Same here, bro." After a moment, Jack pulled away keeping Mac within arm's distance by gripping his shoulders.

"I got a phone call, you alright? You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," Mac waved a hand towards his son and flashed a grin that lit up his eyes like nothing he had seen in a long while, "Now, let's go inside. It's cold out here." He slapped Jack on the back and proceeded back to the cabin. Jack knew that this talk wasn't over, there was something hidden underneath the skin. Though the joy MacGyver had displayed had been real and very enthusiastic, who wouldn't be after reuniting with a son, but the words that he had heard from the two messages left on his machine haunted him. Jack knew that though it may have been temporarily banished because of this new light in his life, whatever it was was still lurking deep in the shadows, and he vowed to exorcise those demons before they could drag his brother down and drown him. The insecurities, the self-doubt, could kill a man, had almost killed _him_; but he had help, and he was going to make sure that Mac had the same.

He turned back to SAM, a grin on his face after learning the "trespasser's" identity. He could barely see him it was so dark now.

"Mac's boy huh?"

"Dad's twin, huh?" He countered mimicking his uncle's tone perfectly. Jack smiled even more; he liked this kid.

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Author's notes: Yehooo! Lovin' the reviews ya'll! Thanks a lot.

Oh, and "Diane" I'd like to thank you for all the reviews of this and my previous story. You always leave your reviews as anonymous, so I can't thank you personally, so….thank you. And I appreciate the effort it takes to write such wonderful feedback ;)


	3. Chapter 3

"In wartime, Truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." -Winston Churchill

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He followed the kid into the house and took his boots off the moment he got inside, shaking the snow off them so it landed outside the door. He took off his beanie and jacket, hanging it up in the hall closet where other jackets, skis, boots, scarves, poles, skates, and other equipment were kept. It was sort of the catchall closet, and always had been.

He turned and found both his brother and nephew staring, standing with their arms folded. They were about to team up on him, he knew it, but for what?

"What?" he asked somewhat irritated. People had been giving him strange looks all day, but it was another thing to get those looks from family. Family, wow, what a concept. He had just gained another member.

"You're hurt," Mac stated rather bluntly. It seemed that every time Jack showed up, he was injured.

"I'm fine." It was an automatic response.

"No you're not," this time it was SAM. He had obviously gotten a lot from his father. He pointed to his face and winced slightly, "You've got some good coloring there and I don't think that you're the kind of guy to wear blush, besides it's the wrong color."

Confused, Jack turned to face the mirror that hung in the hall and for the first time since his release, gazed into his reflection. Across his cheek was a large bruise that extended down to his chin.

"Dammit," he had walked around in the freakin' airport with that and hadn't even realized it. No wonder mothers had avoided him and the rental clerk was overly cautious. He sighed, knowing that Mac wouldn't let up on his interrogation, "It doesn't hurt, honest," he turned back to them, but kept his head down, suddenly finding his feet interesting, "Sore, maybe, but it doesn't hurt."

"What happened?" SAM asked before either Mac or Jack could change the subject. Jack's head shot up, and they both shared a quick worried look that didn't go unnoticed by SAM. He was too tired to be convincing. Besides, he was trying to fool a MacGyver. He knew it wouldn't happen.

"Training accident."

"For what?"

"Deep Space Radar Telemetry," he grimaced internally. They were going to have to work on a better cover story, this one was wearing out quickly. He couldn't be in an accident at least once a month, or sometimes, more. He could tell that the young man didn't buy it.

"BS, what really happened?"

"SAM!" Mac was astonished at the way his son was acting,

"Dad, he's hurt, it was worse than just that bruise. Don't you want to know what happened!"

He did have a point, Mac thought. He could tell that his brother was making light of his injuries; it was something that they both did.

"It's okay Mac, he should know. He's too smart to fall for that lousy cover anyway. See SAM…I …uh, a mission went bad," Mac winced in sympathy, knowing the nature of his work, "Me and my team were attacked by natives. That's why I wasn't able to get your phone calls till this morning Mac, I was, um, out of town."

"A mission?"

"SAM, meet Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force," Mac was full of pride, announcing his rank like it was the coolest thing in the world, and SAM looked quite impressed.

"Do you fly?"

"Unfortunately, not so much anymore."

"Hey SAM, you never did get that firewood," MacGyver nudged him on the arm gently teasing.

"Kay Dad, I'll be right back. Maybe this time I won't be held up," he joked as he exited the cabin once more. SAM knew that he still wasn't getting the whole truth; after all, he was a journalist albeit photojournalist; plus, he was just plain smart. He also knew that they wanted him out of the room for a second so that they could talk. That meant that his father was in on whatever it was that his uncle _really_ did. He was a little irked that he was being dismissed like a little kid, but for right now though, he would do as he was told. He would find out the truth eventually. It was what he did. It was in his blood.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Jack," Mac prodded. The older twin muttered something under his breath that Mac couldn't figure out, "_Jack_," he chided.

"It was nothing, just, uh, there was something about a sacrifice. The natives thought that they could please their god by offering me up,"

"A human sacrifice! Jack!"

"I'm fine, look, still here. The rest of SG-1 showed up in time. I just got knocked around a bit, that's all."

"How much is a bit, Jack?"

"Umm… a few broken ribs and nasty bruises. I've had worse ya know." And they both did. Boy, how they knew. Mac had been the one to rescue Jack from the Iraqi prison where he had been held and tortured for four months.

"Yeah….well, just be careful."

There was a slight pause that was filled with silent worries.

"What about you," Jack asked, "How's Phoenix?"

"I, uh, I quit Jack."

"What?! Why?"

"SAM: I missed out on the first 20 years of his life. I want to be there for him for the rest of it. I wanted to spend some time with my son, to get to know him, so I…uh…I retired."

"You know Mac, take some brotherly advice, I've done the whole retired bit, a couple times. It sucks. It just didn't stick, and I know it'll only be so long before you start climbing the walls."

"Maybe, Jack, but you know…I'm gonna give it a try. SAM deserves it."

"He seems like a nice kid, how'd you find him?"

"Actually, he kinda found me," he said sheepishly as he proceeded to inform Jack of the circumstances of their meeting.

"Wow, he's something alright. Takes after his old man."

"Hey! You're the old one!"

Jack meant to comment on that, but it was then that SAM made his entrance, his arms full of wood, which he stacked by the fireplace. Jack took the time to really look him over. He was about 5'11, with wavy dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes, definitely from their side of the family. From the story that Mac had just told him, he gathered that he must have also gotten his smarts from Mac. He really did look a lot like him, there was no doubt he was his father's son. Seeing SAM now, Jack couldn't help but wonder if Charlie would have grown up to be like him, minus the dark hair of course. Charlie had been a blonde, after his mother.

Thinking of Charlie sent a pang of pain through his heart, as it always did. He shook his head to stop his mind from wandering down that path and instead decided to ask a vital question,

"What's for dinner?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So then, he decides that it would be hilarious to tie Jane Pryce's pigtails together during math class. She didn't even know it until some other girl pointed it out to her," Jack said around a bite of stir-fry. It had been a compromise: Mac had wanted vegetarian and SAM and Jack had both wanted meat, a stir fry was the only way to appease both sides. Jack was glad to find that SAM was not a health nut, finally, someone sane in the family!

The table erupted into laughter.

"Dad, I can't believe you did that!"

"Wait until you hear the time when we were seven where he-"

"Oh no you don't!" Mac said, interrupting, he knew _exactly _where Jack was going. The night had become a spontaneous embarrass-MacGyver-with-tales-from-his-childhood night, much to the amusement of Jack and SAM, "Don't you dare go there Jonathan O'Neill! I will hunt you down and murder you in your sleep!" he said with mock vehemence.

"Gee, getting a bit violent aren't we Dad?"

Mac just stuck out his tongue at the both of them. 'It must be a good story if Dad doesn't want it told. I'll have to ask Jack later, or maybe Mr. Thornton would know,' SAM thought.

With his belly full and laughing with the good company, Jack suddenly felt exhausted; the day was catching up with him. The meager rest he got on the plane just wasn't enough, and he couldn't stifle the yawn in time for Mac not to notice.

"Okay bro, I think it's time for bed. It's been a long day for you. You can take the guest room. SAM do you mind taking the couch?"

"No, sure Dad. I can handle it, I'll let the old farts take the beds, we don't want one of you to throw out your backs now do we?" SAM wasn't fast enough to avoid the swats on the back of the head from both of the "old farts", and smiled at the easy banter that they had all fallen into. As he watched his dad and uncle, he could help but feel happy. Everything about them made him smile, and it seemed like he was smiling more now than he ever had before.

A few months ago, he had felt so alone in the world, knowing he had a father somewhere, but not knowing if he was ever going to find him. Well, he had found him, quite by accident mind you, but he was determined to make the most out of it. He would never be alone again, and he was thrilled to find that he actually like the man who his father was. SAM had decided that there was no way he was going to let MacGyver out of his life, so he had agreed to go on a trip with him, to get to know each other better.

Well, Mac had taken him to his cabin, which his great grandfather had left to him. He constantly quoted Harry, which was something he found quite entertaining, but never had he once mentioned a twin brother, until tonight where he was held at gunpoint by said uncle.

Looking back on it, it was quite comical. The irony of their first meeting would leave him chuckling for a long time. He had developed an immediate bond with Jack, he was easy to be around, and he liked his sense of humor. The fact that they could team up against his Dad had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on his feelings.

But something about him was nagging at SAM. He felt that way when they were discussing, briefly, how he had gotten hurt, and therefore what he did. He was in the Air Force, that much he knew to be true. He had been around many military personnel in his travels, and Jack just had that aura of a career military officer. SAM knew that there were hidden depths to both his father and his new uncle that he had yet to breach.

SAM yawned loudly as he tidied up the rest of the little kitchen, putting the dirty dishes in the sink and making sure that the rest of the food was placed back in the fridge. When he left the kitchen to go to the den, he saw his Dad already there. He had pulled the table off the side of the room and had opened up the couch to reveal a pull out bed. He was currently trying to wrestle one of the sheets on, but every time he got it around one corner, it popped off another one. After watching this happen quite a few times, he couldn't resist the chuckle that was begging to come out.

Upon hearing him, Mac turned around and flopped on his back onto the bed, letting out a sigh of exasperation.

"How about giving your old man a hand, huh?"

"Gee, I dunno. I don't really feel like it," he teased as he walked over and offered a hand to help him up. He walked to the end with the unruly corner and tugged it down as Mac did the same with his own side.

"There you go," he said as he tossed more blankets and some pillows onto the impromptu bed. "It's not the Ritz, but it'll do."

"Thanks Dad, I've slept on worse before, trust me."

In all seriousness, Mac replied,

"I do son, I do." There was a moment of weighty silence before Mac asked, "So, what do you think of Jack?"

"I like him, he's a lot like you, but different. I can't wait to get to know him better."

"Good, I think he's really taken a liking to you as well."

"Dad…what does he _really_ do?"

MacGyver sighed, not wanting to lie to his son. He suddenly felt odd, being on the other side of this conversation. He had never had to tell any of his family what he did when he was with the DXS. His parents and grandma were already dead, and it was during the time where he and Harry avoided each other. This is what it must feel like for Jack all the time,

"I can't tell you SAM. It's classified. I would if I could, but I can't. Jack would get in a lot of trouble if I did," He got up and slowly started off down the hall, leaving SAM to get to sleep. Before he got far, he stopped, "Just… know that what he does protects us all. He's a hero. Be proud of him…Good night, see ya tomorrow." With that, he turned and went to bed.

"So are you Dad, so are you," SAM quietly muttered before succumbing to his own drowsiness.

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So...? How's it going so far? Tell me what you think? I've been putting quotes at the begining of every chapter, what do you think? Like it or hate it?


	4. Chapter 4

"Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground." - Theodore Roosevelt

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SAM woke up when the smell of something good wafted over to him. His nose was more awake than the rest of him, and he drifted aimlessly to the kitchen where he saw Jack was working over the stove.

"Mornin' sleepyhead."

"Morn'," SAM grunted. He walked to the counter where fresh coffee was waiting, already brewed. He sighed in delight. His Dad didn't drink coffee, so he always had to make it himself, having it ready by the time he woke up was a heaven sent.

"Want an omelet?" Jack asked, apparently that was what smelled so good. He inhaled the smoke and nodded in thanks. "Here, get a plate and sit at the table."

SAM, starting to come out of his sleepwalk, opened the cupboard and brought out several plates and plopped down in the kitchen chair. Jack brought over the frying pan and slid the omelet onto the plate. He watched in good humor as SAM put the mug down and dug in.

"'S good," he said with his mouth full, and Jack laughed. He could _so_ see Mac in this kid.

"Thanks, I make the best omelet you've ever had." And he proceeded to make another one for himself since he gave his to SAM.

SAM swallowed the bite he was chewing and asked,

"Where's Dad? Is he up yet?"

"Naw, he's still asleep. He always was the late sleeper; he should be up soon though. The food never fails," and he pretended to fan the smoke towards the hall as if to make it go faster, and SAM chuckled at his antics. He felt at home here, with these two. They were so similar, yet so different.

"So….Jack, what was it, last night, you were saying Dad did, when he was seven?" Jack sniggered in both remembrance and his nephew's dogged persistence before answering,

"Well, that was a fun one, he-"

"JONATHON!!!" They could hear Mac's shout from down the hall and SAM burst out laughing, while Jack scowled. What was it with him? Every single time he tried to tell that story, Mac showed up. It was as if there was an internal embarrassment-alarm, or something. It wasn't fair, he decided. Oh well, there was plenty of time, he just had to pick his moment.

Mac came in, scratching his head, worsening his already pretty bad bed head, he scowled at Jack who once again adopted a look of complete innocence. He turned to SAM who was trying to smother his laughter and scowled at him too, "It's a conspiracy!" he cried, not helping SAM one bit. He looked at what his son was eating and walked over to where Jack was cooking, putting his arm around his shoulder he said, "I think I'll have one of those as well," then more quietly so only Jack could hear, "You okay?"  
"Yeah,"

"Last night was a bad one"

"I know. I'm fine,"

"Okay bro,"

"Go grab a plate and you'll get your omelet," Jack said loudly, effectively ending the conversation.

"Okay, Bud," Jack grinned at that, Harry, their grandfather used to call them both Bud. Jack used to secretly think that it was because he couldn't tell the difference between them, but he always knew who was who when he scolded them for their pranks.

"So _Uncle _Jack, you staying for Christmas?" Jack smiled at SAM's emphasis on "uncle" but frowned when he mentioned Christmas.

"Christmas?" He had completely forgotten. The month had been so busy, being off world where it was hot, and being stuck underground in the mountain or in the infirmary where the climate was controlled, he had completely missed the fact that it was December, and therefore Christmas.

"Yeah, you know, where friends and family charge the stores last minute to find the perfect gift that someone just goes and returns a week later anyway. Crazy lights, trees, something religious in there somewhere, commercialism, Christmas." Jack glowered at his nephew; of course he knew what Christmas was! He had missed all the decorations on the houses on his way home because of his exhaustion. No wonder the airport was so busy!

"I didn't realize that it was Christmas already. Wasn't it Christmas just last year?"

"Got any plans Jack?" His brother asked.

"Obviously not,"

"Great, you can spend it with Dad and I!" SAM exclaimed happily.

"Why not, just have to clear it with my CO." Though, he had no doubt Hammond would let him have the time off, he just had to make sure. The Goa'uld don't suddenly decide to take a breather just because it was Christmas, unfortunately.

He finished making breakfast and after they were all full, they decided to teach SAM how to ice fish. It had snowed during the night, the weatherman/pilot was right, and there was more snow on the ground. The two brothers were also almost certain that the ice was thick enough now on the lake.

They had explained to him the dangers of the sport and how to avoid them. Since he was the smallest one of them all, they elected SAM to be the one to go out of the ice first to check its thickness. "Better to err on the side of caution," they had said.

So SAM found himself sliding on his belly, to spread out his weight, across the ice with a spade, hammer and a ruler. Back on the bank, MacGyver took out a nice multi-lens camera from a separate bag and snapped off a few quick ones as his son made his way across the ice.

"Where'd you get that?" Jack asked.

"It's SAM's,"

"It's nice,"

"He's a photojournalist, he always has this thing around. He lives for it."

Once he reached the spot that they had all picked, SAM began to pick away at the ice until he reached the water. He stuck the ruler in and measured the thickness: 4.3 inches, perfect. His dad and uncle had told him that the ice needed to be at least 4 inches to be able to support the weight of humans. He worked on widening the hole as he waved the two older men over. They carried the poles and chairs picked their footing carefully. It could be both dangerous and embarrassing to slip and land flat on their butt. Besides, they had to be careful to take the same path that SAM had taken, the ice could be thick in some parts, but thin in others where it had separated recently and ice had just begun to form over the hole.

Once everything was set up, they sat back and enjoyed the solitude and quiet. SAM pulled out a tackle box and rigged his line with a bright lure. Mac and Jack watched, and looked at each other, sharing a knowing look. Mac looked down and pulled something from his pocket, as Jack stole the hidden camera bag and hid it surreptitiously.

"SAM, want some gum?"

"Uh, no thanks dad, I'm busy with this lure, maybe later."

"Ok," he popped the gum into his mouth and started to fold the wrapper, "here, try this."

SAM looked up and saw his dad offering him origami from the wrapper.

"A gum wrapper? Really?"

"Hey, it works," SAM shrugged and took the proffered item and put away the bright lure as he attached the makeshift one in its place. He dropped his line in the water as Mac handed Jack a stick of gum and took one out for himself. They were in the process of folding when SAM got all excited. They looked up and saw the line was moving.

"Wow, that was quick!"

"Go ahead and pull it in," Mac encouraged. SAM stood up and reeled in the fish, pulling it through the hole with one quick jerk. Jack took the picture quickly. Both his brother and nephew wore huge grins. He told them to stand together so he could take the cliché picture of father and son's first fish. Though he usually hated clichés, he didn't mind this one. SAM held the fish in front of him while Mac threw an arm around his son, obviously very proud. It was a beautiful rainbow trout, about 10 inches long. After the picture was taken, SAM asked,

"Where'd you learn that?"

"Harry taught it to us when we were really young," Jack answered while slinging the bag around his shoulder after replacing the camera in it.

"He taught us a lot," Mac said a bit wistfully, sad that he was no longer around to meet his great grandson. But he shook off the attitude for a happier one, "And we're gonna teach _you_ everything he taught us…Now, let's take a good look at that fish!"

Jack also had a moment of sadness because he had missed Harry's funeral. He hadn't even known that he had passed until Mac mentioned it years later. He stood up to go over to look at SAM's fish as well when all of a sudden a familiar feeling came over. It was the absolute worst timing! He was engulfed in a bright light and before he knew was somewhere else entirely.

SAM had been facing Jack while his dad had his back turned to him. He had seen the bright light and when it faded, Jack was missing. He backed away quickly, terrified of what he had just seen, "WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!"

Mac turned to see what had SAM so spooked and saw that Jack was nowhere to be seen, he immediately looked down at the ice, but saw that there were no fissures or ominous holes. 'What the?' Mac turned back to his son and noticed that he was still backing away, subconsciously.

"SAM, SAM, get back here! SAM, don't go any further!" They hadn't scouted the ice where he was; it was dangerous to wander out there.

SAM's brain obviously didn't hear him or register what he was doing; he was in shock and watching his uncle disappear right before his eyes. He kept moving backwards until he heard a deep _crack_, which effectively made him stop. His eyes went wide and found his Dad's who felt a sudden fear race through him at the sound. All Mac could think as he saw his son fall through the ice was, 'No, No, NO!'


	5. Chapter 5

"Conspiracy is no longer a theory." – 'Area 51'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Thor! GOD DAMMIT! What now?!" Why the hell couldn't they just knock or something. He was with his family and that would sooo spook SAM and Mac!

"O'Neill, I need your help with negotiations. The Asgard High Council-" The little Roswell gray alien stated from behind his podium.

"I'm not a diplomat, now Mac on the other hand… my brother, who I was just with, is good at that kinda stuff," Jack said offhandedly, though his words held a bite to them. His ire diminished slighlty realizing that this wasn't going to be an end of the world scenario, but he had just been revealed to SAM, and Mac as well who didn't know the whole story. This was going to be a nightmare, and for what? Diplomacy, negotiations? He hated politics. He'd rather be fishin'.

Thor responded by activating the transporter beam once more.

MacGyver appeared lying on his stomach in the middle of the floor. He was momentarily disorientated, but he had only one thing on his mind. When he saw his twin, he yelled,

"Jack, SAM!" The fear was obvious to everyone present. Jack quickly put two and two together and got four.

"Thor! There was a third person with us, beam him up, NOW!" The alien realized the urgency and locked in on the only other life signal in the area. A young man appeared next to MacGyver in the middle of the room. He was wet and shivering, his lips had already begun to turn blue. Jack dropped the camera bag he didn't realize he was still holding onto and they both rushed over to him and started taking of his wet clothes and wrapped him in their own sweaters and jackets. The actions were famliar enough to get through their panic-fogged minds.

Everything was so automatic; Mac didn't realize the fourth occupant in the room until Jack spoke to him.

"Thor, we need to get him in one of those healing pod things, he's got hypothermia and mild frostbite."

"This way O'Neill," Jack took charge and picked up SAM and followed Thor down the hall, Mac was still in shock and tailed him mindlessly, his eyes locked on SAM's shivering form. He placed SAM in a pod that closed immediately after Jack pulled away. Thor tinkered with a control panel and announced,

"Healing has begun. Now, O'Neill…" But Jack wasn't listening; he was busy trying to comfort his brother as well as contain his anger.

"Jack…SAM, the ice…oh my god…Jack…I couldn't get to him…"

"Mac! He's fine, Mac, MAC! " Nothing he could say could bring him out of it, "Sorry bro," he clenched his fist and hit the worried parent square on the jaw.

That seemed to do the trick; he blinked a few times and Jack could tell that he was 'here' now.

"Mac, SAM is fine, he's being healed right now. He'll be out in…"

"Ten of your Earth minutes, O'Neill"

"…ten minutes."

Mac just nodded, SAM was in good hands, and he would be fine. If Jack was okay with it, then he should be too, but he had only just found SAM, and he was worried that he would lose him. He had a bad track record of losing the people he loved; like SAM's mother. He let out a breath and wearily scrubbed a hand over his face. After a moment he decided to look around,

"What the-Jack? Where are we?"

"Mac, you know about the Goa'uld, the aliens, and about my missions off world," He had to tell MacGyver about that part after he had almost been snaked the last time they were together, a few months ago. When they had been in the Zone, a unique mental link between the two brothers, Mac had seen some of Jack's memories that he had had to explain, "Well, there's more. This is Supreme Commander Thor, of the Asgard Fleet. They are the good guys, our allies against the Goa'uld," Mac walked up to where the little alien stood. It was exactly like some pictures you saw of fake aliens with the big head and huge black eyes. It stood roughly waist high, and Mac knelt down and offered his hand, unwittingly imitating Jack's own first meeting with the advanced race.

"Hi, my name's MacGyver, I'm Jack's brother. Nice to meet you Supreme Commander Thor," the alien took his hand, and to his surprise, it wasn't slimy or anything, it just felt a little chilled. He couldn't believe that he was meeting an alien. Well, the last one didn't count; it just looked like an evil mutant snake, and they had to kill that one.

"I wasn't aware that O'Neill had an identical embryo companion. Had I been knowledgeable, I would have contacted you earlier. I apologize for the circumstances surrounding our meeting," then, to O'Neill he turned, "As I was explaining earlier, O'Neill, you are needed to negotiate a treaty between two nations on a protected planet. The Asgard cannot interfere according to the Protected Planets Treaty which states that if we intervene, the planet is open to attack from the Goa'uld, and we cannot prevent it."

"So it's alright for me to muck it up, just as long as you don't show your face, got it,"

"I am unsure of the meaning of 'muck' but yes, it is acceptable for you since you are an Earthling."

"Actually, Thor, as I was saying earlier, Mac is a much better diplomat, perhaps it would be best if he accompanied me on this one."

"That is acceptable," Just then, the pod SAM was in started to beep. Mac, who had previously remained quiet while Jack and Thor talked, dashed over to the machine, where the top was sliding off on its own. SAM was stirring inside,

"SAM, it's okay, I'm here. You're fine, open your eyes," he said while he couldn't stop himself from hugging his son. He had almost lost him. They had grown close during the last several weeks, and now that he had a son, he didn't know what he would do without one.

SAM was still cold, but not nearly as icy as he was before he had been healed. MacGyver forced himself to detach from his son when he realized that he was crowding SAM in the pod. Once again he encouraged SAM to try and open his eyes, only then would mac truly begin to relax.

"Dad? What happened, I was so cold," then he opened his eyes and saw the weird design of the alien ship, "Whoa…Hey, I stayed away from drugs. This can't be happening to me." Mac and Jack chuckled at his reaction, relaxing now that he was back to normal.

"Don't worry SAM, nothing is wrong with you. This is really happening, we're on a spaceship."

"No shit!? Really?" MacGyver scowled at the language, but he let it slide. SAM hopped out of the machine and slowly spun around until he saw Thor. He froze and leaned towards his father, "Umm," he cleared his throat, "Dad, um, do you, do you see that?" he asked while gesturing towards the Asgard.

"SAM, meet Supreme Commander of the Asgard, Thor," Jack introduced while Mac put a comforting hand on his son's back, "Thor, this is Mac's son, my nephew: SAM."

"Thor? As in the Norse god of thunder, Thor?" The Asgard seemed pleasantly surprised at the connection SAM had made,

"Yes, indeed our race has influenced your mythology to some extent. It is a pleasure to at last meet the relatives of the Great O'Neill."

Mac mouthed 'great' and raised his eyebrows to which Jack just shrugged.

"Hey guys, I wanna show you something awesome," Jack said as he motioned to open the door of the room. Mac and SAM followed him; trying to take in as much as they could, as he led them back to the bridge. As they entered the room, SAM spotted his camera bag in the middle of the floor from where Jack had left it.

"Hey, my camera!" as he straightened up, he gasped seeing the Earth in its magnificent beauty floating peacefully below them. "Whoa, check out the view!" he exclaimed as he pulled out his camera and took a picture. When was he ever going to get this chance again?

As they admired the view, Jack walked up to Thor and leaned down slightly, lowering his voice so their conversation wouldn't be overheard,

"Thanks for the plug Thor, buddy."

"We are now even, O'Neill."

"Thanks, I'm going to be using that for the rest of my days. It has a certain ring to it: The _Great_ O'Neill,"

"So does _Supreme Commander_."

"Thor, though, we seriously need to talk about your timing. You can't just beam me up whenever you feel like it. We need to set up some sort of system, maybe a doorbell, or something." Though said in jest, he was entirely serious.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After the newbies had taken their fill of the view, Thor had informed them that they were in for a long trip: 36 hours. They settled down as Thor began to brief them on the planet they were visiting.

Pladonis was divided into two large countries, Clatia and Tyrea. They were currently in a situation that was similar to Earth's Cold War. The planet didn't have a Stargate as far as the Asgard knew, which was the reason for the ship. Their job was to negotiate a peace between them and a disarming of the weapons that they had manufactured; a piece of cake for Mac. He had done so many negotiations like it on Earth, he was practically a professional.

Eventually, Thor had to leave to check to make sure that they were still on course. That was when SAM and Mac turned on Jack,

"Is this what you do?" SAM asked, "…work with aliens?"

"Yep, though it's not always this relaxed. There's usually some badies around," then his tone became serious as he remembered all the men and women who were fighting right now as they spoke back at the SGC, "We're actually at war," He and Mac shared a look; Mac had met one of those badies not too long ago.

"You mean evil aliens?"

"Yeah, it's actually better that I tell you about them, seeing as you're going with me to the planet. If anything can go wrong, it will. The Goa'uld are egotistical parasites that take over the body of its host. They take on the persona of a god and are evil down to the very core, if you see one, kill it, before it kills you. They have armies of human incubators called Jaffa, and they carry in their stomach the larval form of the Goa'uld. They're dangerous too, but not all jaffa are bad. Actually, one is a good friend of mine," Mac's eyebrows shot up, this was new to him. Seeing his questioning look, he answered, "Murray... His real name's Teal'c. He's saved my life many times, and is on our side."

SAM and Mac continued to ask questions, ranging from past missions, which he wasn't allowed to disclose, to other aliens, to sci-fi movies on Earth versus the real thing.

Jack enjoyed not having to lie to his family. For once in his life he could tell them what he did, he didn't have to hide behind the darkness of secrecy. He enjoyed it, but was wary of how much he told him. He didn't want to give them any new fodder for nightmares or guilt trips by exposing them to any unnecessary horrors that he had witnessed, as well as he didn't want to be court-martialed.

Some time later Thor came in, interrupting the conversation, and gave them each a pair of new BDU's, and some MRE's for dinner.

It was Jack's idea since the last time SGC personnel had been beamed up without warning and whisked away. Though he had never had the displeasure of trying the Asgard cafeteria, Carter had informed him that it was not pleasant, to say the least. He had asked that Thor store some extra clothes, weapons, supplies, and food (if you were willing to call an MRE food) as a precaution for 'next time'. He even had a secret stash of green hats. And it had paid off. They had things to wear, and more importantly, Jack had a gun; though Mac refused to touch one, Jack issued him with several nasty looking knives and a zat. He had no problem with that since he vowed only to shoot once. SAM now carried a zat as well as a knife, and a 9mm, purely for back up. Both father and son had a long argument over him carrying it, and it was apparent that it was not the first time the issue had been debated. SAM won by quoting Jack's description of the Goa'uld and saying that he would use his zat if he had to, and only use the gun as a last resort.

Though he would have preferred to have a GDO, just in case; he reminded himself that there was no gate on this planet, besides, he was going to be hanging out with an Asgard at his back, they could get through the Iris without a code easily enough.

As the planet came in view, Jack quipped at the sight of his twin, nephew, and himself all wearing matching green BDU's and green ball caps,

"Hey, it must be bring your family to work day!" he quipped as a blue light engulfed them once more.


	6. Chapter 6

"Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The three humans beamed down onto Pladonis just outside the neutral city of Tomac, as per the plan. The walk to the city would give Mac and SAM time to adjust to the fact that they were on a different planet. It also would give Jack the chance to go over a few last minute safety details involving off world travel. SAM took the sudden change of location in stride, the benefits of youth, but Mac reached out to grab a hold of his brother's arm, startled.

"Woah, cool!" SAM spun around, trying to absorb everything he could see, while Jack did the same, though for threat assessment. Once he was certain that no one was around to ambush them, he grabbed SAM's shoulders and pointed him in the direction of the city.

"That way Sport,"

SAM turned to look at him and stuck out his tongue, but began walking anyway. He was too excited to be annoyed… for now.

Mac on the other hand was in complete awe and more quiet about it,

"This doesn't look too alien. It looks like southern Canada,"

"Most of 'em aren't that different. Well, there was one planet that was all sand; it was bright yellow, like sulfur. There was one that had purple trees and one where the sky was red...but this is pretty much the norm,"

"Really?"

"Yup," he said cheerfully.

They both walked in a companionable silence, enjoying the scenery on their way to the city, watching SAM walk ahead of them, his camera out. Mac was just happy that he had seemed to forget his little dip in the ice the other day. Mac, though, would never forget.

"You know, you're _probably_ not gonna be allowed to keep those," Jack said sarcastically, loud enough to cover the short distance between them.

"Yeah, I know," SAM answered back as he turned and walked backwards a few steps to take a picture of his dad and uncle, "…but, it's still fun to take them." Besides, he had a plan. He had sneaked film out of countries plenty of times before; he would find a way. There was no way that he would put Jack at risk by publishing them, he just wanted to keep them for sentimental value. He waited until the two older men caught up, then all three continued on to the city, which they could now see was not far away.

"You know… this doesn't look very…alien-ish," SAM commented offhandedly. The two brothers just looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They were silent as they finally approached the outer limits of Tomac. It was a large city that contained many tall buildings, though none over nine stories, and many that looked like big blocks. Sam commented on how spooky it was that the city just started immediately. It was as if they crossed an invisible line that separated the beautiful uninhabited country that they just traipsed to the hustle and bustle of "downtown".

Their sudden appearance attracted the attention of a passerby, who was traveling on what looked like to Jack a cross between an old Belladonna and a Segway scooter. He motored away quickly while screaming for somebody to call the Guard.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance," Mac quipped while looking at his brother, asking the silent question of _what now?_

"We should head towards the tallest building, Thor said that that was the capitol."

"Yeah, and lets hope that we don't get arrested by the 'Guard' before we get there," SAM suggested.

"Thor said that they would be expecting us," and Jack certainly hoped that Thor was right. Otherwise, they would be in for a whole heap of trouble, and he wasn't in the mood.

The three men kept on walking, but it wasn't long before they were surrounded by a dozen men: obviously the 'Guard'. They were uniformed in long deep purple coats with golden tassels on their shoulders. They leveled old-fashioned type muskets at them as Jack reflexively moved his hand to his 9mm that was in its holster on his leg. He hadn't brought the P90 out of respect for Mac, but there was no way that he would go off world without some sort of gun.

One of the purple garbed men stepped forward. The only sign of importance or rank was his crisp white hat that was similar to a Navy Officer's.

"Halt! State your destination and your business here, newcomers. You are unfamiliar to us."

Mac brought his hands up to show that he wasn't armed and stepped forward, it reminded Jack of Daniel and his 'we are peaceful travelers' spiel. It was his show now.

"We are negotiators. We have been sent for to talk to the leaders of Clatia and Tyrea…" The leader put down his weapon and signaled for the rest of his men to do so.

"Take us to your leader," Jack murmured under his breath sotto voice, and SAM, who was right next to him, snorted. Mac turned around, hearing SAM's ill contained amusement and glared at who he knew was the source before turning his attention back to the man in front if him. Jack just stared at his twin innocently.

"You are the ones then… I am called Goran, I am chief of the Guard of Tomac. I have been instructed to escort you to the capitol to begin discussions."

"Thank you Goran," Mac said as he returned the bow of the chief and introduced himself, "I am MacGyver, and this is Jack O'Neill and my son SAM."

"I am very honored to meet you. Now, the ministers are expecting you. Please, this way," Goran gestured for them to move on down the street and Jack relaxed his hand away from his gun.

They passed stores, bakeries, pubs, office buildings, and places of residence before they arrived in front of a large, tall, steel building. There were other men who were obviously members of the Guard, conspicuous in their purple attire, who were posted outside the entrance. Goran spoke with the officer at the door and showed him a pass before the guard waved the rest of their group through. Only two of the other Guard in their group proceeded inside with them.

At their curious looks, Goran explained,

"It is an agreed upon rule that there cannot be more than twenty Guard in the capitol building at one time."

"Why not?"

"To prevent a coup. The Guard, though nonaligned, is composed of mainly soldiers and officers from Clatia. Very few Tyreans chose to participate for the benefit of neutrality. Despite this, they fear that when their minister, Minister Klax, comes to negotiate that we will assassinate him," he said the last part in a low voice, "The ministers are not allowed to have their own soldiers accompany them, only the Guard."

"Sort of like the Swiss Guard," SAM concluded. Goran just gave him a blank look. "Where we come from, we have-"

"Never mind that SAM," Jack interrupted, not wanting to give anything away about Earth no matter how inconsequential. He turned to Goran and asked, "Are both…ministers…here?"

"Yes, pardon me, I should cease conversing and ensue with my duties. Right this way." He walked over to an intercom unit and told someone on the other end about the visitors they were waiting for having finally arrived. While he waited for confirmation, he turned to his guest and asked them politely to turn in any weapons they might have.

Jack looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Goran assured him that they would be returned once the talks were through. SAM and Mac turned in their zats, and a knife each, but by unspoken consent they kept their Swiss army knives. Jack, meanwhile, removed the clip to his 9mm and kept that while he turned the actual gun over to Goran. He also kept two of the knives that he had hidden on his persons. One was in his boot, and the other was strapped under his pants to the inside of his leg. He did, however, have to take off the more conspicuous dagger that was attached to his belt.

"That's a good knife, I want it back."

Goran nodded in respect. A loud buzz came from the intercom box informing him that they were authorized to join the ministers' conference. He ushered the three visitor passed the desk and through a door that closed automatically after they were inside the tiny room.

Mac looked around. The small, circular room had no walls, only widows, except for the door, which was made of a shiny metal. When the room suddenly started moving he realized that they were in an elevator. It looked more like a small lounge though, with a couch in the center and a potted dark red plant for decoration.

"Cool," SAM muttered as he walked over to one of the windows and took in the view of the building's lobby below while he quickly snapped off another picture.

A couple seconds later, the doors opened once more and revealed two sentries for a door at the end of the hallway. Upon seeing Goran and his group, one of the Guard knocked on the door and, receiving some verbal command that neither of the Earthlings could hear, he went in and announced the group to all present at the negotiation table.

Jack had an odd mental image of lambs going to the slaughter.

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Author's Note: I thought it was time for another update ; ) Now that school's out and finals/ AP exams are over, I'll be able to get some more writing done. Thanks again to all of you who have been reviewing, it motivates me to get more down on paper!

This one's for all of those brave souls who fight for our freedom and those who are prepared and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us! Happy Memorial Day! And THANK YOU!!!


	7. Chapter 7

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." - Ronald Reagan

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Goran bowed deeply upon entering the room. Seated at a large square table were eight people, divided by country: Tyrea's ambassadors and minister on the right side and Clatia's on the left. All looked expectantly at the three strangers who had just arrived, interrupting proceedings, which were not… proceeding. The Tyrean ambassadors were quick to anger, and the Clatian representatives were quickly losing their own patience.

"Ministers and ambassadors, may I introduce the mediators," Goran said as he pointed respectively to each person as he spoke their name, "MacGyver, Jack O'Neill, and SAM MacGyverson. It is they who are to help bring peace to Pladonis."

A man stood up from the left side of the table, and nodded in greeting.

"Clatia bids you welcome. I am Minister Henron," the man oozed authority. His ambassadors, or assistants also stood and nodded as well in agreement. They all sat and looked expectantly at the other side of the table.

However, despite the warm welcome from the Clatians, the Tyreans remained seated, but also nodded curtly, as if they really couldn't care less. A man at the head of the table, who looked the exact opposite of the portly Henron with his long black hair spoke up.

"I am Minister Klax of Tyrea."

MacGyver took off his hat as a sign of respect, and following his lead, so did SAM. Jack kept his on as a way for the aliens to distinguish him by…at least that was his excuse.

"We thank you for your warm welcome." Mac said, as one of the ambassadors motioned for the three men to be seated at the head of the table, closest to the door. Now that pleasantries were over, Mac settled in, ready to get down to business.

"We have been briefed on the situation between the Clatians and the Tyreans, but I would like to hear the requests and terms each side wants or is willing to cede so as to be able to draft a fair peace treaty between your two nations."

From there, Jack figured, things went south. The talks quickly escalated into shouting matches and heated arguments. Clatia wanted to divert funds from weapons manufacturing to stabilizing their economy, but couldn't afford to do such because if they stopped, Tyrea would pull ahead of them in the stalemate and blow their collective butts off the face of the planet. Tyrea expressed that they had no qualms about doing such a thing, for they wanted access to the Fridh mines that lay deep in the heart of Clatia. Fridh was a valuable mineral that gave off energy when burned, similar to fossil fuels and coal.

There was no talking to either minister, and no progress was being made. It was all Mac could do to keep the two leaders from killing each other, and Jack's tolerance was quickly going the way of the dodo. SAM just seemed bored and interested at the same time.

Jack had been in many negotiations thanks to his position as 2IC at the SGC. He had to be present at many of the discussions that were held at the underground base, but none were as irritating as this. And the annoying thing was that they were dealing with higher stakes; it was a cold war, and only a matter of time before someone developed an itchy trigger finger. They were teetering on the edge of their very existence over what? Mines?

He stood up and slammed his hand down on the table when Minister Klax insulted the heritage of Minister Henron.

"For cryin' out loud people! Wake up!" Mac stared at him, a harried expression on his face, he was just as frustrated as Jack was, he was just better at controlling it. "You're gonna blow each other up?! Then what? That's it, everybody's dead. No second chances, and none of you get what you want; just death and destruction. I suggest that you guys make nice and try to get along… or else."

The room was silent for a few moments after he stormed out of the room, unsure of what to do. Mac was torn, he wanted to see what was going on with Jack, but he knew that he had to stay here and try to drill in Jack's statement so that it would make as much an impact as he could get. Instead, SAM got up and walked out after him. He wasn't doing any good there anyway; he was just along for the ride.

SAM ran down the hall when he saw his uncle enter the "elevator" and caught up with him just in time as the doors closed right behind him.

"Jack?"

The older man currently had his back to him and was staring out one of the large glass windows. He didn't move or acknowledge SAM's presence. But SAM was persistent, and proved that he inherited the family's stubborn genes when he moved over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What is it?"

Jack let out a heavy sigh and turned to his nephew.

"It's so stupid! So inconsequential!"

"This?"

"Yeah, they're gonna blow each other up over some damn mineral. Such a waste of life. It's not worth it."

"To them it is. It's their energy source; it's the same back home," SAM said as he tried to reach the man, "Desert Storm," SAM went on despite the tiny shudder than ran through Jack, "American military presence over seas… for oil. We do it too, mind you not as a potential nuclear war, but wars have and still are being fought over oil. It isn't too different," SAM paused and saw that he had his attention and he seemed to be calming down.

"That's the point SAM. It is the same back home. I don't think that your dad can do anything here. No one will listen, just like on Earth. Good men and women have died there, and they're gonna die here…many will…" Jack ignored the doors as they opened on the ground floor, and spoke while gesticulating his sentences "Mac's gonna beat himself up because they are too stubborn to give in a little. He would be better off pounding his head against a brick wall than trying to convince Mr. Clucks of anything. Thor is gonna lose this planet, there's nothing we can do." he stated with finality as he walked out of the elevator while SAM followed him.

"If you need me, I've got my radio. Channel 16," he collected his weapons from the desk and left the building, leaving SAM standing still in the lobby of the capitol building.

"Where is he going?" SAM jumped as Goran appeared behind him.

"For a walk," he answered as he too let out a sigh and headed back to the elevator. He had to go tell his Dad where Jack was, and he was sure that he might need some help refereeing.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jack needed to let off some steam, so he felt that it would be calming to recon the city, get his bearings and figure out where some things were. After about half an hour, he finally was calm enough. He had been furious because he knew, from watching the ministers that an agreement wasn't going to be reached. As willing as Minister Henron was, Klax wasn't. The pigheaded son of a…

"O'Neill," the voice startled him, and he stopped and looked around him for whomever it was that was calling him.

"O'Neill," when it was repeated, Jack knew what it was, and he searched his pockets for the communicator that Thor gave him.

"Yeah?" he asked into the stone.

"How go the negotiations?"

"There not looking too good Thor. I don't think that we will be able to do this; Mac's still trying though. He might still be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but I doubt it."

"Why would one pull a small Earth mammal from a head covering O'Neill, I do not understand,"

"Never mind Thor, it's a figure of speech," it was times like this that Thor reminded him so much of Teal'c.

"Jack?" this time, his radio activated.

"Speak of the devil, hold on Thor, I've got another call, " he thumbed his radio, "Yeah Mac?"

"Negotiations have paused for the day, we'll continue tomorrow. Goran has offered us accommodations in a room in the capitol building. It seems that it also serves as a hotel for when the Ministers are in town. It's the securest place for them to stay. We'll be on a different floor though,"

"Okay Mac, I'll meet you downstairs in 20."

"'kay. See ya then."

Jack then switched back to the rock, feeling a bit like an operator, "Thor, we're gonna spend the night down here."

"That will be acceptable O'Neill. I do, however, have not so favorable news. The High Council has informed me that my presence is needed somewhere else at the moment. I have the closest ship to the area in question, and am being recalled. I will return in a few days, you are as you say 'on your own' until such a time as I am to return."

"That should be fine Thor, I think we're okay for now, but don't forget us. We need a ride home."

"Very well O'Neill. I will return soon. Take care,"

"You too Thor," Jack responded, a little worried about what had the Asgard running around the galaxy.

He hid the communicator away and headed back to the capitol building to meet up with Mac and give him the news.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So Dad, how's do you think it's going?"

"Honestly SAM, not well. But, it's only been one day, normally these things take a long time and lots of planning and going back and forth," MacGyver answered.

"I'm thinking that Jack might be right though, I don't really trust Minister Klax. It seemed like he was hiding something."

"Yeah it did. He did seem like he didn't want to even be here, as if he was waiting for his chance to send the first bomb."

"It was kinda creepy."

"Yeah well most politicians are," Father and son turned to the door where Jack had just entered, "Goran told me the way," he explained at their questioning looks.

"Ah."

"Hey, I've got a question…." SAM stated, "What time is dinner around here? I'm starving!"

Jack smiled and Mac laughed as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Kids!"

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Author's Note: Don't forget to review and tell me what you like or don't! ; )


	8. Chapter 8

"Fortune seldom repeats; troubles never occur alone." - chinese proverb

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The nest day, SAM woke up early. He was on an alien planet, and even though he was tired already of the "negotiations", he was still excited about what he could do today. He looked around and saw that his dad wasn't up yet, and oddly neither was his uncle. It must have been really early then. He looked at his watch, but rolled his eyes when he saw that it said 2:00, a lot of good it would do him, it was Earth time.

He grabbed his green BDU jacket, he actually liked the military uniform, and he found it comfortable. He also grabbed his camera bag, made sure he had his knife and a radio, and slipped out of the room quietly and headed down to level 2 of the building. That was where they had cafeteria-style dinner last night. It was either that or order room service, like Goran had informed them was what the Ministers and ambassadors did. He, however, wanted to go out and see things while he could. He was hoping to try to run into the Chief Guard this morning to see if he could set up a tour of the city or something.

As he entered the large room, he noticed that he wasn't the only one there. There was a group of Tyrean ambassadors in a far corner.

_Odd, I thought that they didn't come down here_.

He surreptitiously kept an eye on the group as he walked up to a counter that held the food-dispensing machine. It wasn't quite like a vending machine, because you could choose from a list of foods and it would make it in very little time, then it would lift a compartment door, and you got your food out of there, hot and ready to eat. The food wasn't too different from Earth's but their eggs, or equivalent, were green. Upon seeing this, he couldn't help but chuckle as the children's book popped into his head. There were also some weird fruits, or what he thought was a fruit. _Oh well, might as well try it_. He had grown up in China, and had been sent all over the globe on assignment, he was used to eating weird things.

He brought his tray over to a bench and sat down so that he could see both the door and the ambassadors.

They seemed so into their discussion, that they didn't notice SAM. He tried to hear what they were saying, but it was useless. They were speaking in a different language that he had never heard before. _Duh! Alien Planet!_ Or so he kept reminding himself.

It wasn't long, however, until one of them looked up, spotted him, and informed his colleagues. The chatter abruptly ceased, and they stood up and quickly left the room.

"How sociable," SAM muttered to himself at their departure. He was definitely suspicious, but at the moment, there was nothing he could do until his family woke up, then he would tell them his suspicions. The Tyreans were plotting something.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jack woke up and stretched. His back and knees popped, which sounded really loud in the quiet of his room. Luckily though, he no longer experienced any pain, thanks to Thor. During their long trip, Mac had suggested that Thor heal his wounds similar to the way that he had done to SAM. However, he wasn't so bad off that he had to go into a pod, Thor had just waved his jeweled hand and his aches and pains from the past month were gone.

He dressed quickly in a new pair of BDU's and slipped out of his room into the common area of their accommodations. Everyone had their own separate sections, though they didn't have doors, that they sleep in, but they were all connected to a large circular area with a fire pit in the middle. _It must get cold in the winter_ he figured. He went to see if anyone else was up, but he had his doubts about his brother. Mac usually slept in late; the joys of civilian life. He was correct in his assumptions and headed to where he saw SAM retire to last night, but he saw that SAM wasn't there.

A jolt of panic raced through him before he could push it down. What if he was taken? They were off world and just that alone was sufficient enough for worry. SAM was his own man, though young, Mac told him that he had been alone for a long time and had proven that he could take care of himself. He went back to where his brother was sleeping and woke him up… just in case. He still was worried.

"Mac, wake up!"

"What?" Mac responded immediately to the tone in his twin's voice, "What's wrong?"

"SAM's gone,"

"What!?" Mac jumped out of bed and ran to his son's "room" to make sure for himself. Upon seeing the empty bed, he went back to the common area to search for any clues.

After a moment of worried searching, he sighed, relieved at what he found, or rather, didn't find.

"It's okay Jack,"

"How do you know?"

"His camera bag… it's not here. Which means that he wasn't kidnapped if he was able to take it. I told you, he always has it with him."

"Oh,"

Mac then walked back into his room and returned with a radio in hand. Jack looked sheepish. Why hadn't _he_ thought of that?

"SAM? You there?"

"Yeah Dad? You're up already? Wow,"

"Yup, I had a…wake up call," he said throwing Jack a semi-annoyed, teasing look.

"Oh,"

"Hey, where are you? Jack kinda got worried here," Of course, he hadn't been worried one bit, nope, not at all.

"Oops, sorry Uncle Jack,"

"'S okay kiddo, just next time, leave a note. Or, better yet, wake me up," he said, taking the comm. unit from Mac.

"'Kay. So, you guys gonna come down to eat or what?"

"We'll be right there."

"Roger that, over."

SAM chuckled; he had always wanted to say that.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Meanwhile, the two adults rolled their eyes. They both had matching grins on their faces though; SAM was definitely from their side of the family. There were no doubts about that.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It wasn't long until the two twins rounded the corner into the cafeteria. SAM had already finished his green eggs and his fruit, which tasted like a kiwi banana…maybe a kabana or a biwi? Whatever it was, he was positive that his dad was going to like it.

There were now a few more people in the room who had also come early for breakfast, though not as early as SAM had been.

"What took you both so long?" SAM called in way of greeting as his family approached with their own trays full of food.

"Mac got lost," Jack said as he slipped into the seat across from his nephew while chuckling at his own plate of green eggs. SAM smiled, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"I did not! I saw something cool and detoured," MacGyver sat down next to his son.

"Yeah sure,"

"It was!"

"What was it?" SAM asked, intrigued at what his father might call "cool".

"DON'T ask SAM," Jack cried, "I just shut him up! He talked my ear off about conduits and interfaces and a whole bunch of other technobable. Enough's enough!"

"Okay….well, anyway, I um, I gotta tell you something."

They both changed from being relaxed with their playful banter to alert and cautious when they saw how SAM suddenly looked around and lowered his voice.

"What?"

"When I first came down here, I saw the Tyrean ambassadors, talking. They looked kinda shifty," both twins found that odd, since they too remembered what Goran had told them last night about the VIP's usual dining habits. "They're up to something, I know it. It's like a bad feeling in my stomach, something's gonna happen."

"Did you hear what they were saying?" Mac asked.

"Naw, they were speaking some other language, I didn't get anything. But they didn't see me right away, cause when they did, they left in a big hurry."

"That's sooo not good," Jack stated.

None of them had gotten good vibes from the Tyreans since their introductions yesterday. It was also clear that Goran didn't like them, though he was supposed to be unbiased, it was hard to remain so.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After breakfast, Mac had wandered around the capitol building for a little while before he had to return to the top floor of the capitol building to resume the peace talks, while Jack went with SAM on his tour of the city. Goran, as he had hoped, had been able to rustle up a guide, and SAM was excited. Jack just didn't want the kid to be on his own after his scare this morning.

He entered the top room without trouble, the Guard, having recognized him from the day before, let him in with his own nod of salutations. Henron and his ambassador assistants were already there, and like yesterday, greeted him with enthusiasm.

"Good day MacGyver. Did you rest finely?"

"Yes I did, Minister," he said with a slight bow, "and yourself?"

"Wonderfully, now that we have mediators. I have feared that Klax would act soon, but now, our future is bright. I want to circumvent war. I love my country and do not want to see it suffer. That is why I have had to work hard to match Tyrea with its ordnance."

"Well, hopefully, those weapons can be dismantled and we can avoid war." Though he was optimistic by nature, he also had a healthy hold on reality. Tyrea wanted to go to war, or so the guys had decided over breakfast. Mac's job was to figure out why and see if he could find something to appease them with.

They all took their seats at the table while they waited for Minister Klax and the other Tyrean representatives to show.

Twenty minutes passed.

They were a no show.

Henron was starting to get nervous. If the talks stalled, he was the one who had the most to lose. He didn't want to fight; it was a last option for him. He knew that there was nothing that really kept the Tyreans at the table. He was holding an empty hand.

Finally the door opened and one of the ambassadors walked in. He had a grim smile on his face as he announced,

"Minister Klax has withdrawn from negotiations. He sees no benefit to the country of Tyrea by staying here. He has been summoned back to our capitol city of Menautos to deal with Tyrean business. He has not time to waste here." Then the man spun on his heels and left as suddenly as he came.

This was not good.

Mac looked beside him at Minister Henron who looked pale. Klax had just called their bluff.

Not good at all.


	9. Chapter 9

"His premonition of disaster was correct from the beginning; and like a ranting actress in an indifferent play, I might say that we have paid for the freedom." - Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He was bored. Bored, with a capital B-O-R-E-D!

SAM was, of course, enthralled; just like his father would be, but not Jack O'Neill. Goran and a docent had been driving them around the city for the past hour, and had taken them to their most prestigious museum. Granted, some museums were cool, his favorite being the Air and Space museum in DC, but he was convinced that this one was just _trying_ to put him to sleep.

The guides voice kept droning on and on and on, every once in a while to be interrupted with questions from his nephew. Jack's feet moved on their own, as if on autopilot, and though he was aware of his surroundings- he couldn't afford not to be- his mind was a million miles, make that light-years, away.

Who knew that going to visit his brother would end up with him and his twin, plus a new member of the family, on an alien planet halfway across the galaxy? _Figures, nothing is ever simple with us. At least none of us are being shot at for a change._ He sighed. _Damn family reunions_.

He looked over to the young man. A man, probably early twenties, he would have to ask him sometime, and thought about all the wonderful memories that his brother missed out on. First words, first steps, baseball games, hockey games; all the things he had had with Charlie. The _only_ things he had had with Charlie were what Mac had missed out on. He felt apologetic for him, yet envious at the same time. Mac had a son and he didn't. _Don't go there!_ His current line of thought startled him, he was an uncle, and that gave him plenty of opportunity to help Mac with SAM, god knows he's gonna need it. SAM was already passed the teenage hormone hell, but if he was anything like his old man, then the rebelliousness was just beginning. Hell, look at him, _he_ was _still_ bad at conformity, they both were. _Well, you know what they say about how "it runs in the family" and "it's in your blood" and all those other lovely family-related clichés_.

He followed his nephew and their entourage into the next room and grinned when SAM looked at him with a huge thousand-watt smile. He was clearly enjoying the tour, and the beautiful docent had absolutely nothing to do with it. Jack couldn't help but get caught up in his good humor; the darn kid was contagious. He had an easy smile that, he knew from his own personal experience, could make women melt, SAM had gotten that from him.

_He looks so much like Mac. Just a chip of the ole block if what he tells me is true._ Mac had filled him in on a bit of his not so pleasant past. _The kid hiked through red China when he was nine! Alone, for cryin out loud!_

_Poor Mac, bet he had a heart attack._ Mac had always wanted to play dutiful uncle to Charlie, but had to settle for a spare phone call here or there. He had never even really seen him, which Jack knew just about tore him up, but now it was his turn to play Dad, and he had every confidence that he would do fine. SAM was a great kid, would've made a good cousin or big brother, if fate had given them a chance.

Jack physically shook his head, he was getting too melancholy. He could think more about it later when he wasn't on a mission.

He stepped into the room and acted as if he was genuinely interested in what was being discussed, something about parallels between the religious evolutionary path versus their scientific discoveries; sounded like the kind of stuff that Daniel and Carter prattled on about, only now it was his nephew. _Oy!_

He walked over to a display and raised his eyebrows in confusion at what the case contained. It looked like a tangled ball of yarn, but apparently it had some importance to their culture or it wouldn't be in a case. Contemplating whether or not some cosmic cat was supposed to have played with it and blessed whoever was supposed to lay eyes on it, he didn't notice SAM walking up to him.

"Jack?"

"Huh, yeah?" he asked, looking as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Lona here has invited us to return later this evening to-"

"Lona?"

"Yeah Jack…" he said while rolling his eyes and shrugging in the direction of the docent, "Lona,"

"Ah,"

"Anyway, she invited us to dinner at her folks' place. Apparently, they manage one of the most popular restaurants in town."

"Um, Goran..." he turned to the Guard Chief, "do we have any plans later tonight? Any obligations, meetings, signings, rituals, anything?"

"No sir. I have not been informed of such activities. If you prefer, I can send a detail to accompany you to your…dinner appointment," he answered, sharing a knowing grin with the Air Force Colonel, "I am positive that arrangements can be made to suit such plans."

"Thank you Goran."

"It is no problem."

Now turning to the young man next to him, who was sending him a mocking glare, he replied in a joking voice,

"Sure SAM, we can go to our little dinner date,"

"_Jack!_"

"I'll just have to clear it with Mac after he gets out of the negotiations."

They had previously agreed to not use the radio unless it was an emergency, and dinner, no matter how hungry he might be, was not one. Besides, he was sure that the minister wouldn't appreciate being interrupted.

As they exited the room, Jack surreptitiously reached out for SAM's arm and pulled him back, preventing him from leaving just yet.

"SAM, just remember: This isn't home, we're on an alien planet, you gotta be careful. You can't just chase after all the pretty alien girls," he whispered, "trust me, it never turns out well."

"I know what I'm doing. We'll be out in public, giving us a chance to hear what people say on the street, plus not to mention we can recon more of the city that we haven't seen. And tell me that you want to eat that cafeteria food again?"

He had a point. Being among the people could be dangerous sometimes, but it would give them more of a feel for who these people were and what they were like.

"Okay, just…be careful."

"Sure thing."

He let go of SAM and let him walk outside, thinking about what he had said. _There was some definite potential in SAM_, he caught himself thinking as he followed.

Goran fell instep with him as they came to the end of their tour through the museum.

"How go negotiations?"

"I don't know, honestly, that's MacGyver's department," he took off his baseball cap and fingered the brim, a nervous habit he had.

"I anticipate a swift and suitable end to this tension between our…the states. I fear that Clatia is on the brink of destruction for Klax does not seem to be cooperative in the discussions."

"Why are you telling me this? Aren't the guard supposed to be neutral?"

"Indeed we are, but you must see that if Clatia is attacked, though Henron prefers peace, he will surely counterstrike. If that happens, there will no longer exist anyone to be neutral to. Do you believe that your MacGyver can be successful where so many have failed?"

"That's what's on his resume. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, and if you still don't succeed, call MacGyver," he joked. Turning serious for a moment, though, he added, "He's been doing it his whole life. Back home, we had a great philosopher who once said, 'What people say you cannot do, you try and prove that you can'. That's Mac."

With a simple nod, Goran moved away and boarded the tram that had been taking them around the city, leaving Jack the last one to get on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Once again, Jack found himself contemplating his family. This, time it was Mac. He had earlier been thinking about SAM and his thoughts eventually got around to his brother.

"_How do you deal with it bro…God, I feel so…old…"_

Normally he would have chalked it off to a midlife crisis. But they, Mac, had gone through many midlife crisis, hell, one every week when people were shooting at him. This was different, he had sounded so dejected over the phone, that was, until he had met SAM. Jack had the odd suspicion that no matter how high in spirits his twin was because of his son, it was just a matter of time. He would still feel the same about being…dare he say it…old, and that this temporary happiness was just that: temporary. He wasn't saying that Mac wasn't genuine in his feelings for SAM; it was just that his fears had been swept under the rug, a patch job.

It was depressing to finally realize that you weren't as indestructible as you once thought you were. The knees start to lock and squeak, the back starts to give out and crack so loudly that you think the guys in orbit can hear it. Slowing down, losing your breath more easily, suddenly you find that everyone around you is looking younger and younger, being lapped on the ice: aging. It happened to the best of them, no matter how many wheat germ shakes you force yourself to eat-er- drink.

Jack resolved to take his brother aside as soon as they were finished with the mission and talk to him. He was the older twin, by six minutes, but he could do Mr. Big Brother well enough. Plus, he had already gone through that stage, and even though he was in a delicate balance of acceptance and denial about the O-word, he was willing to be there for Mac to help him through it.

Jack, still on active duty and going on missions was himself finding it harder and harder to keep up some days, but he wasn't willing to say 'Uncle' just yet. He knew that his health conscious brother would have a hard time adapting. MacGyver was a man who never knew the meaning of 'slow down'. He was very active, they both were, and would take it hard. But they would take comfort tin the fact that they were once again together, and together they were twice as strong. _It's a scientific fact. _

SAM turned to him with a confused expression and Jack realized that he had laughed out loud.

He muttered his apologies to Lona and asked her to "continue on" with her lecture about…well, it was about something. He settled back, confident in his plan, before suddenly, from out of nowhere, a horrible sensation washed over him, as if someone had walked over his grave. Something was wrong.

Somewhere, something…someone.

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Extra points to anyone who knows who Jack is quoting!!


	10. Chapter 10

"The past with its anguish will break through every defense line of custom and habit." – Cyril Connolly

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Minister please, minister…Minister Henron. MINISTER!" Finally seeing that the frantic man paused long enough to give him his attention MacGyver continued, "please, calm down."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! My people are now going to be attacked, I must prepare. Tyrea has made their choice, as regrettable as it is…the loss of life… Chanar, Go alert the outposts to make ready the explosive ballistics, Silia-"

"Minister, PLEASE. There is no need for that yet," god how he hoped he wasn't wrong, "I don't believe that they are going to attack just yet-"

"Oh, you don't _believe _do you? These negotiations have been a waste of time, I should have been with my people trying to save as many as I can." The leader had changed from the pleasant man he had met earlier to a man years older, tougher, and one who although still cared greatly for life of all kinds, was guided by his conscience to protect his people first. Burdened with duty and yoke of power.

"I understand that, but I think that we have time to-"

Once again he was cut off,

"You think! I cannot gamble on the goings on of the mind of a…a…a _stranger_."

"Sir, I could buy you time. My group and I are willing to find out why the Tyreans suddenly withdrew. There's got to be a reason. Let us help you. We don't want any loss of life either."

Henron slumped back into his chair at his words. He truly didn't like war, but he liked the death of _his own_ people even less.

"You are confident that you could make a difference in this avoidance of battle?" Mac nodded and tried to conceal his nervousness. He prayed to no end that he wouldn't prove to be a liar; it was just the only option he saw at the moment. "Then you shall travel to Menautos covertly and learn what it is that has forced this outcome."

"I have to-"

"Mac?!" A voice interrupted him, coming from his radio, "Mac, you alright? What's going on? Mac?!"

"Jack, not now," he said after he fumbled for the radio to break off the rant he knew that he was going to get. Something had alarmed Jack and now he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it, but Jack would wait until Mac said it was okay first.

"Like I was trying to say, I would have to clear it with Jack but I'm willing to do anything to prevent an all out nuclear war."

And it was a grateful Henron who bowed his head in thanks. "If you succeed in your mission, the people of Clatia will be forever in your debt, as will I. You may have any resources you deem necessary, just ask Goran to provide it for you." With that, the minister left with high hopes, though tacked on to the realistic mindset of a leader preparing his people for war.

Mac sighed. Jack and Thor had both said that this would be an easy negotiation…yeah right! This whole situation was going to Hell in a handbasket!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SAM had been engrossed in a discussion with the pretty docent, Lona, about Tomacian culture. Specifically what they did for fun, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had a silent movie theater. He had been listening to her talking about the latest one she had seen when he felt…he didn't know what he felt or at the very least how to explain it. He had never felt anything like it. It was as if he knew someone was in trouble. _Kinda like a sixth sense. _

A question on his lips, he turned around to his uncle Jack and found that he must have felt it too because he had this weird look on his face. He was sitting ramrod straight and scanning the area as if he knew that something was going to jump out at them. SAM too started looking around just out of reflex. He had been in hazardous places throughout his short life: Bosnia, Nicaragua, Nigeria… there was nothing wrong with his survival instincts.

"Mac?! Mac, you alright? What's going on? Mac?!"

His head snapped back to Jack when he said that. _Is Dad in danger? Jack certainly thinks so, why? _

It was at this time that Lona had stopped talking; never having realized that SAM's attention hadn't been on her. Goran also turned his attention to O'Neill, who seemed oblivious to everyone else at the moment.

"Jack, not now," came his father's distracted tone. Both he and Jack breathed a sigh of relief at the harried voice, though his uncle was still tense. _What's going on? _

Jack tore his attention away from the radio and looked him in the eye. His expression was schooled into nonchalance, but if you looked in his eyes, you knew better.

"SAM you're gonna have to cancel dinner," he said, though he knew Lona was listening, "we're going back to the capitol. Goran, please…"

Goran turned the vehicle around and headed back. It wasn't long until the two heard back from MacGyver.

"Jack? You there?"

"Yeah bro, I'm here. What the hell was that?"

"Umm…long story."

"Start talking…"

"The Tyreans walked out of negotiations. They broke off ties and said that they had more pressing business back home than to waste their time here."

"That's not good."

"No, it isn't. Is SAM there with you?"

"Yeah Dad. I heard ya," SAM keyed his own radio.

"Good you two head back here as soon as you can."

"'kay, Goran how-"

"Fifteen regas sir."

"Ah. Mac, Goran here says we'll be there in fifteen…regas."

"Okay, that's roughly twenty minutes. See ya then."

Jack looked thoughtful for a split second before making a decision and simply replying,

"O'Neill out."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MacGyver shook his head. _What am I going to do?_ This didn't sound like a piece of cake, it would be dangerous, and he didn't want SAM to be anywhere near something that would be unsafe. They had gone through this already, and every fiber of his being told him that they would continue to go through this time and time again. SAM was his son, and there was no way he would be willing to put him at risk. His family was too small, he didn't want to lose any of them; he just couldn't. He had felt that way about Jack all his life, and now he had SAM as well. So sue him, he was an overprotective father.

_///flashback///_

_"I'm gonna go with you," SAM said as he hopped off the desk in Pete's office he was sitting on. At his words, MacGyver stopped, just short of the door. No way was he going to let his newfound son go into such a dangerous situation. _

_"Ahhh, I don't think so. There could be some trouble." _

_But SAM wasn't having any of it. He had to go, it was personal._

_"Look, we just found out you're my father okay" With that line alone, Mac knew he was going to get an earful. The look on the kid's face reminded him of himself, "That's father, not boss. I've been on my own a long time. And I'm old enough to vote, I'm old enough to fight for my country, not to mention the fact that I am a professional photojournalist and I'm looking at one hell of a story, so back off."_

_SAM had won that round with such fervent words and he knew it. He would not be left behind no matter what. _

_"I'm going with you."_

_///end flashback///_

No matter what he wanted, he knew SAM wouldn't go along with it. If he had his way, he would be back home under a lock and key, but SAM was too much like him, Jack as well. No one and nothing could keep them away from the action. It was who they were and there was no changing that.

He walked down the hall, thinking the entire way about what they were about to do. Undercover in an unknown city on an alien planet looking for who knows what; a mission full of unknown perils: not a place he wanted his only son to be. He was used to working alone, now he had two other people with him, his two weaknesses.

Closing the door to their room behind him, he leaned his back against it for support in a moment of vulnerability. He was scared.

Scared of losing his family. He knew that they could handle themselves; they've proven it many times already. It was just that he was fighting overwhelming feelings of protection that he knew he couldn't give in to. It was irrational, he knew, but lately that's the way he had been feeling.

He moved away from the door and tried to collect himself. He was glad that the others hadn't been there already. He was a private man and liked to handle things alone where nobody could intrude.

MacGyver took the moment to think over what exactly had just happened at the meeting and how he was going to tell Jack and SAM. Jack wasn't going to like it; they were changing the whole purpose of their little excursion into space, and yet they weren't changing it at the same time. Thor had asked them to try to negotiate a peace treaty between the countries and that's what they were going to do. The only thing was that they had to go undercover into one of the cities and find out their secret so they can try to broker a deal. No big deal…right?

Jack was sooo going to be pissed.


	11. Chapter 11

"The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic, might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion." – Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jack was pissed.

He had burst into the room and had confronted Mac right away with the words: "What's going on that you're not telling me?" SAM had looked stunned but his father had only nodded before he told them about the assignment that Minister Henron had asked them to take on.

"He was really worried about his people, Jack. How could we not do it? Do you expect me to turn the other cheek while these people blow each other up with nuclear bombs? Come on, you know me better than that."

"I understand where you're coming from Mac, but is it any of our business?"

"It became our business when you agreed to help Thor."

"It's going to be dangerous," Jack said pointedly looking at SAM, echoing his twin's earlier thoughts. Mac had an advantage with the advance warning and time to think that he had taken before. Meanwhile, SAM bristled, realizing what the two were talking about. He was preparing for his 'I'm an adult' speech that he had already given his father and was about to interrupt when he heard his father reply.

"I know, and I'm not completely comfortable with it, but I'm confident in _all_ of our abilities." Mac made it a point not to look at his son and instead captured his brother's gaze as if willing him to understand that they needed to show some faith in SAM.

Jack reluctantly nodded which relieved Mac. SAM just stood there with his jaw slack, momentarily speechless. He had thought that he would have to fight tooth and nail to be able to go with them. Mac moved away, their discussion over with an unspoken agreement, and began to gather some supplies for their trip. Jack turned to the young man and grinned at the expression on his face. _The kid looks just like a guppy. _

"Careful not to drool SAM," he snapped his mouth shut, "now, you might want to make sure that you have plenty of film and that camera of yours is in good shape…we might be needing it this trip. Pack only essentials, this is going to be fast and we need to be light. "

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I shall provide transportation for you until we reach the outskirts of the city. I cannot proceed any further but until then the roads are mainly deserted so we shall not encounter any Tyreans. I cannot, however run the risk of being sighted within city limits; I am testing the boundaries by merely crossing over into Tyrean land."

"Thank you Goran, for everything. We appreciate your help." Mac said while shaking the Guard's hand. It was a shock to see him dressed in normal Tomacian 'street clothes' instead of his conspicuous purple uniform.

"Yeah, our feet thank you too. I'm glad we don't have to walk the entire way,"

"I thank you as well for your willingness to undertake this task. It does indeed mean a lot to me," he said with a deep bow, "From one warrior to three, I wish you luck."

All three men were so touched by Goran's sincerity and SAM didn't have the heart to correct him. He had never thought of himself as a 'warrior' per se. The three family members exited the vehicle, each grabbing their own pack and slinging it on while doing one last minute equipment check. With a final glance towards their new friend, they headed off into unknown territory, Jack taking point, with Mac bringing up the six. SAM was forced between them, deemed the navigator as consulted the map, given to them by Goran, he quietly directed Jack where to go. Tyrea's landscape had changed minimally to include shorter, yet steeper and rockier hills with many paths to choose from that cut between them and led to the Tyrean capitol of Menautos.

The hike there was silent, each occupied by his own thoughts and keeping a hushed eye out for any enemy movement.

Jack couldn't believe that he had actually agreed to go on this mission behind enemy lines with SAM along for the journey. He couldn't believe that Mac was letting him. Giving it some thought, though, he truly did understand, he just didn't want to. The kid- he couldn't help but call him that- wasn't a kid anymore, or so he had emphatically reminded him after Jack had let the moniker slip on their ride over here.

If he was Charlie, Jack would have never- no, SAM wasn't Charlie. Why was it so difficult to get that straight? His thoughts kept betraying him, constantly comparing his brother's son to his own. It was unfair, to both SAM and Charlie. _Quit it O'Neill! Buck up and get it through your thick head, stop thinking about crap like that. You're on a mission; focus on the job_.

Thought train abandoned, he tried to think of light little nothings in order to avoid such a deep topic that would in fact distract his concentration. Maybe something like hockey scores or that he needed to remember to get everyone a Christmas present.

But his mind had other ideas.

The traitor.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SAM was currently fighting his own hand as it continually reached for the camera bag that was slung over his shoulder. After two days on an alien planet, you would think that he'd have been used to the idea, but no. It was an _alien planet_! And he wanted to document every little detail of it. But, he reluctantly stopped his hand once more as it made another attempt, trying to sneak past his mind, for the camera. He only had a couple rolls of film, not a lot by any standard, and he was saving it. Jack had asked him to bring it along, not that he would have left it behind anyway, in case they needed proof of a Tyrean plot. You truly just never knew when a camera might come in handy.

He checked the map once more and quietly sped up to stand side by side with his uncle.

"Jack, we should be almost there, from what the map says-"

"SAM, never trust a map that talks to you," He joked, unable to resist the temptation of teasing the young man.

"Funny," SAM rolled his eyes, and he had thought that his uncle had been funny-hah! "Anyway, according to the map, we should be almost there. Maybe just another quarter mile and we'll be coming up to the Northwest edge of Menautos." SAM finished as he began to roll up the map and store it in his pack.

"Good job SAM, thanks," he nodded to Mac for him to catch up to them but before he was able to do so, Jack lowered his voice, "You ever shot a gun before?"

SAM just sadly shook his head, remembering the passionate lecture his Dad had given him not too long ago. That had been a difficult day, he had wanted to give in to his vengeance, but his Dad had been able to get through to him and change his mind. He had, honestly, never been comfortable with guns, but he still knew how to use them. SAM murmured a muted "Yeah" barely loud enough for Jack to hear.

But Jack knew from his nephew's body language that though he would have preferred not to have anything to do with guns, he would use one if necessary.

"Okay, I put some extra clips in your pack, but the 9 mil is only for backup. You don't have to use it, the Zat is good enough, but just in case…"

"I got it."

"Thanks SAM," The younger man looked up to see the expression in his eyes. He knew, he understood, hell he was Mac's brother, of course he understood, "I really mean it." And he really did. SAM knew that if he never touched the gun at all, Jack would be happy, but it was a necessary evil. Jack just wanted him to be protected, have all his bases covered…just in case.

Just at that moment Mac reached the other two.

"So what's the plan?"

"Well, SAM here's map told him that we should reach the city pretty soon. A quarter of a mile."

"They've practically declared war, they're gonna have the main roads shut down with road block," Mac stated.

"Yeah, and not to mention, they'll have troops on patrol as well," SAM added.

Jack just nodded,

"Yeah, I figured. SAM on that magical map of yours did it show a possible advantageous entry point?"

"Yeah, in fact that's where I was leading you already. It seems as if the northwest side of the city is industrial, a lot of warehouses, which means a lot of roads and alleys. They can't possibly patrol every one. It's just a matter of sneaking in. Piece of cake."

"Okay, sounds reasonable. What do you think Mac? You capable of some major sneakage?" he asked with a grin.

"Of course! In fact, in my high school yearbook, they voted me the 'most likely to sneak around in enemy territory'. A little sneaking is what I do best!" Both brothers tired hard to contain their laughter, teasing SAM about his word choice.

He rolled his eyes before swatting both of them on the arm.

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint, let's get a move on,"

"Sneak on bro," Mac said, quickly moving out of SAM's reach.

"Sneaking," Jack answered, doing the same.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: I'm going to be going away for almost a month, and I won't have access to any computer; so, unfortunately it might be a little while before I can update again. I will still be writing while away (the old fashioned way: pen and paper), but I will have to transfer it to computer when I get back so ya'll can read it. Then I will be updating quite quickly, to make up for it ; )

But I want to thank all those who have been following this story and have been leaving me their feedback and reviews. It is much appreciated! And I hope this small lapse doesn't deter any of ya'll from continuing to enjoy my stories!

Thank you all kindly!


	12. Interjection: Letter from the author

Letter from the author,

First and foremost, I sincerely apologize by the way that I have treated this story. What started out as writer's block was quickly compounded by several real life obstacles and distractions. I know this is no excuse, especially not for my loyal readers, but I have good news!

I have finally found it within me to finish this story. I have begun researching again, and rereading what I had previously written. Unfortunately, I had the next chapter already written, but my old computer crashed and I lost it, hence what triggered the writer's block.

But all that aside, I will continue this story. Bear with me, it may be a week or so before I have suitably rewritten the next chapter and gotten into the swing of things. I am working on it!

What I ask of you is that yall be patient, or impatient. Actually, be impatient! Hound me to get it done and to release new chapters. In fact, if one of yall would like to volunteer to be a cheerleader/ trampoline to help me work through some things and bounce ideas off of, it would be greatly appreciated!

If anyone would like to help, please leave a comment, and I'll respond back with my email address, and hopefully we can get this show back on the road.

Also, once this story is finished, I would love to go back and do the same for Common Calamity. I feel awful that I have let these stories fall to the way side.

Let's finish them!!

-Tigerkity


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